C. Seven stars — the bright messengers of the churches
III. “The things which are” — the seven local churches — 2:1 —3:22
A. The church in Ephesus — the church at the close of the initial stage — 2:1-7
B. The church in Smyrna — the church under persecution — 2:8-11
C. The church in Pergamos — the church married to the world — 2:12-17
D. The church in Thyatira — the church in apostasy — 2:18-29
E. The church in Sardis — the church in reformation — 3:1-6
F. The church in Philadelphia — the church in recovery — 3:7-13
G. The church in Laodicea — the church in degradation — 3:14-22
IV. “The things which are about to take place” — 4:1 —22:5
A. The first section, giving a general view of the things to come, from Christ’s ascension to eternity future — 4:1 —11:19
1. The scene around the throne in the heavens — only the Lion-Lamb (the victorious and redeeming Christ) being worthy to open the mystery of God’s economy — 4:1 —5:14
2. The seven seals — the mystery of God’s economy — 6:1 —8:5
a. The first seal: a white horse and its rider — the preaching of the gospel — 6:1-2
b. The second seal: a red horse and its rider — the spread of war — 6:3-4
c. The third seal: a black horse and its rider — the increase of famine — 6:5-6
d. The fourth seal: a pale horse and its rider — rampant death — 6:7-8
e. The fifth seal: the cry of the souls underneath the altar — the prayer of the martyred saints from Paradise for vengeance — 6:9-11
f. The sixth seal: the shaking of the earth and heaven, the beginning of the great tribulation — a warning to earth’s dwellers — 6:12-17
g. The visions inserted between the sixth and seventh seals — 7:1-17
(1) 144,000 of the twelve tribes sealed — the chosen Israelites preserved on earth — vv. 1-8
(2) A great multitude serving God in the heavenly temple — the redeemed saints raptured to heaven to enjoy God’s care and the Lamb’s shepherding — vv. 9-17
h. The seventh seal: seven trumpets brought in — the answer to the martyred saints’ prayer in the fifth seal — 8:1-2
i. The scene in heaven after the opening of the seventh seal — Christ as the High Priest offering the prayers of the saints to God — 8:3-5
3. The seven trumpets — the execution of God’s economy — 8:6 —11:19
(3) The temple measured and the court cast out — the heavenly temple sanctified and preserved and the earthly one given to the Gentiles — 11:1-2
(4) The two witnesses — Moses and Elijah — 11:3-12
(5) A great earthquake — the third earthquake predicted in this book — 11:13
h. The seventh trumpet — the eternal kingdom of Christ, the third woe comprising the seven bowls, the judgment of the dead, the giving of the reward to the prophets, to the saints, and to the God-fearing people, and the destruction of the destroyers of the earth — 11:14-18
i. The scene in heaven after the trumpeting of the seventh trumpet — the temple opened and the Ark seen — 11:19
B. The second section, giving details of the important things and the crucial matters covered in the first section — 12:1 —22:5
1. A woman who brings forth a man-child, and a great red dragon — Satan — 12:1-18